Plectrum piano action



Oct. 8, 1957 Filed Oct. 5, 1956 W. B. TAYLOR PLECTRUM PIANO ACTION 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. WILLJAM B. TAVLOR,

NTTO RNEYS Oct. 8, 1957 w. B. TAYLOR PLECTRUM PIANO ACTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 5, 1956 14- e 46 ea INVENTOR. W\LLIAM B. TAVLQ a v-QMJa/aon ATTQ RNEVS United States Patent PLECTRUM PIANO ACTION William B. Taylor, Atlanta, Ga.

Application October 5, 1956, Serial No. 614,204

3 Claims. (Cl. 84-258) This invention relates generally to an improved plectrum piano for stringed musical instruments.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a more efficient and more accurately operating piano action of this kind, wherein depression of a key moves a pick arm and engages a pick finger with a string of a musical instrument so as to tension the string during a predetermined amplitude of movement of the pick arm and then release the string so as to produce audible vibration of the string, and wherein release of the actuating key causes a dampener to engage the string for muting the string.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a piano action of the character indicated, means for restraining the dampener from engaging a vibrating string so as to enable sustained audible vibration of the string.

A further object of the invention is to provide a piano action of this kind which can be made in rugged and serviceable forms at relatively low cost, is easily applied to musical instruments, is easily adjusted and maintained, and is highly satisfactory and practical for purposes intended.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a piano action in accordance with the present invention, looking at an end of the keyboard of an instrument incorporating the same, showing in phantom lines positions of the parts when the actuating key is depressed, and further showing in phantom lines a retracted position of the string dampener produced by actuation of a foot pedal;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, portions being broken away and shown in section, showing in phantom lines positions of the parts when the actuating key is permitted to return to an unactuated normal position;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary and contracted bottom plan view of Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the pick arm and escapement or tumbler assembly.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the illustrated piano action is for a single string of a musical instrument and is indicated generally at 10, it being understood that this piano action is to be utilized for a plurality of different strings of the musical intrument which may vary in length and tension.

indicated at 12 is a horizontally disposed key-frame from which rises a guide pin 14 which has circumposed thereon a sound dampening washer 16 which rests on the upper surface of the key-frame and which is engageable by the undersurfaces of a vertically swingable key 18 which has therein a vertical bore 20 which loosely receives the upper end of the guide pin 14. The key 18 has on its forward end an elongated reduced tongue 22,

2,808,754 Patented Oct. 8, 1957 see Figure 3, which has engaged with the opposite sides legs 24 and 26 of a longitudinally extending bifurcated block 28 which has in its forward end a longitudinal socket 30. Extending transversely through the legs 24 and 26 and the tongue 22 are retaining pins 32, such as rivets or the like. A set screw 34 is threaded downwardly in the block 28 into the socket for adjustably securing therein a longitudinal peg 36 on the rear end of a longitudinally extending arm 38. The arm 38 has intermediate its ends and extending therethrough a rectangular cross section vertical opening 40, see Figure 2, and the forward end of the bar 38 has therein a slot 42. A horizontal pivot pin 44 extends transversely across the slot 42 and has supported thereon the upper end of a pick arm 46 which is vertically movable by depression and elevation of the key 18.

The pick arm 46 includes a vertically elongated body 48 having on its upper end a reduced tongue 50 positioned in the slot 42 and traversed by the pivot pin 44. The body 48 has rearwardly projecting from an intermediate portion thereof an abutment lug 52 which is engageable by a biasing leaf spring 54 whose upper end is secured in a slot 56 in the arm 38, whereby the pick arm 46 is resiliently urged in a forward or counterclockwise direction, toward an escapement assembly 58 which is mounted on a horizontal transversely extending support bar 60 fixedly secured in a musical intrument substantially parallel to the key-frame 12. Spaced below and vertically aligned with the abutment lug 52 the body 48 has at its lower end a rearwardly projecting portion 62 which has extending therethrough a rectangular vertical bore 6-4, see Figure 5, which adjustably receives therein a vertical support bar 66, retained in a selected position by means of a set screw 68 traversing the portion 62. Secured on the rear side of the bar 66 and extending below the lower end thereof is a pick finger 70 which has on its lower end a rearwardly extending terminal 72 which is arranged to be engaged beneath a transversely extending instrument string 74. With the terminal 72 engaged under the string 74, upwardly movement of the pick arm 46 tensions the string 74, and sudden release of the terminal 72 from the string produces audible vibration of the string.

t is to be understood, although not shown, that the instrument string 74 as well as other strings of a musical instrument are suitably supported on an instrument sounding board as is conventional in a piano, for example.

Suitably secured on the front side and the lower end of the pick arm body 48 is an L-shaped follower 76 of material such as buckskin, cowhide, or the like. Fixed on the front side of the body 48 immediately above the follower 76 is a sound dampener pad 78 seated on a shoulder 83 of the body 48.

The escapement assembly 58 comprises a horizontally elongated block 82 which has extending through its forward end portion a vertical bore 84, loosely accommodating a screw 85 which traverses a washer 86 bearing upon the top of the block 82 and is threaded into the support bar 69. The block 82 includes a bifurcated end portion 83 and has a concaved rear end 90 which is normally engaged by the follower 76. The longitudinally extending slot in the rear end of the block 82 has extending thereacross a pivot pin 94 on which is pivoted an eccentric latch 96 which has on its rear end a nose 98 extending rearwardly beyond the concaved end 90 of the block 82. The eccentric latch 96 normally occupies the gravity depressed position shown in Figure 1, wherein the nose 98 is engageable by and is passed by the L-shaped follower 76 as the pick arm 45 rises a predetermined distance, the pick finger terminal 72 having been engaged under the string 74 during such movement, until the lower part of the follower 76 becomes engaged upon the upper surasoares face 100 of the latch arm 98 by reason of the action of the spring '54 on the pick arm body 48. The forward swinging of the pick arm 46 here involved withdraws the pick finger terminal'72 from beneath the string 74 and sets the string into audible" vibration.

Extending vertically from the upper surface of the block 32 at its concaved end 90 is an abutment plate 102 which is engaged by the dampener pad 78 on the pick arm 46 when the pickvarm. is moved to the string releasing position. Extending transversely across the upper and lower surfaces of the block $2 in overlying relationship to the slot 92 are pads 104 and 106 of felt or the like, serving as dampening stops for engagement by upper and lower portions of the latch 96. When the key 18 is released, as shown in Figure 2,.th'e pick arm 46 moves downwardly as indicated by phantom lines, and the follower 76 rides downwardly and re'arwardly along the eoncaved end 9 of the block 82 of the escapement assembly 58, and upon encountering the top 1011 of the latch nose 93 causes the latch 96 to pivot downwardly and rearwardly. The follower 76 then passes the nose 98 and rides further downwardly along the concaved end 9% and is thereby moved rearwardly at the same time, so that the pick finger terminal'72 is located beneath the string 7d ready for subsequent engagement therewith. A horizontal and transversely elongated support bar 108 is secued in a notch in the upper surface of the key-frame 12 and has therein a vertical bore 110 receiving therein the upper end of a vertically adjustable rod 112 which is retained in adjusted position by means of a set screw 114 extending through the bar 1113. Extending transversely through the lower end of the rod 112 is a horizontal shaft 116, one end of which extends into the lower end of the standard 119 of an L-shapcd dampener arm rail 11%. The shaft 116 is fixedly secured to the standard by means of re taining elements 126, so that the dampener arm rail 113 rotates with the shaft 116. The end portion 117 of the shaft 116 at the opposite side of the rod 112 from the rail 118 is securably transversed by the lower end of a rodlike spring 122 whose upper end is engaged with a lateral pin 124 on the side of the rod 112, the spring 122 being effective to urge the dampener arm rail 11% in a forward and downward or clockwise direction. A lateral arm 126 on the rail standard 119 extends behind the rod 112 and has secured on its forward side a dampening pad 128, see Figure 4-, for engaging the rear side of the rod 112 when dampencr arm rail 118 is biased in a clockwise direction, as shown in Figure 2. The rail standard 11? has extending rearwardly therefrom a pair of spaced cars 1311 and 132, see Figure 4, which have extending transversely therethrough a pivot pin 134 which extends through a journal 136 on the forward end of an actuating rod 138 which is movable endwise in a left-hand or readward direction. The actuating rod 138 is operatively connected to a conventional foot pedal, such as found on a conventional piano. The dampener arm rail standard 119 has on its lower end a forwardly extending flange 1413 which has on its forward edge a socket 141 receiving the rear end of a steel leaf spring 142 which is retained therein by means of a set screw 144. The leaf spring 14-2 has an upwardly bent intermediate portion 143 and a forward end portion 146. A dampening pad 148 on felt, sheepskin, or the like, is secured to the underside of the forward end portion 146 and is engageable with the spring 74, see Figure 2, while the string is vibrating for muting the string. When the rod 138 is moved rearwardly, the dampening pad 148 is retracted upwardly from the vibrating string 74, as shown in Figure 2, so that the string 74 is free to vibrate. Secured at its lower end to and rising from the upper surface of the terminal end 146 of the leaf spring 14-2 is a vertical arm 15% which has on its upper end a forwardly extending finger 152 having on its underside a dampening pad 154. As shown in Figures l and 2, a vertically elongated dampened elevating lever 158 is pivoted intermediate its ends at 156 in the opening 49 in the arm 38. On the lower end of the lever 158 is a rearwardly directed finger 160 which is arranged to engage beneath the pad 154 on the finger 152 of the dampencr arm 150. The upper end of the lover 158, indicated at 162, is in engagement with the upper end of a biasing spring 164 whose lower end is fixedly secured at 166 in the opening 417, so that the lower end of the lever 158 is urged rearwardly toward engagement beneath the pad 154 on the finger 152 of the dampener arm 150. Upward movement of the key 13 elevates the lcver 158 and release of pressure on and downward movement of the key 13 lowers the lever 158, so that the dampening pad 148 is urged by the spring 142 into engagement with the string 74, which will have been previously vibrated by the pick finger 7G in the manner hereinabove described in detail. There has been disclosed herein a piano action for a stringed musical instrument to be incorporated with a plurality of similar actions, so as to provide a stringed musical instrument simulating a conventional piano, and to be played in exactly the same manner as the conventional keys of the piano.

The'foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. in a plectrum piano action for a musical instrument having a vibratable string, a fixed key support, a key mounted above and on said support for elevation and depression relative to said support, said key having a forward end, a longitudinally elongated support arm mounted on and extending forwardly from the forward end of the key, said arm having a forward end, a vertical pick arm having an upper end pivoted on and depending from the forward end of said support arm, said pick arm having a lower end and forward and rear sides, spring means acting between the support arm and the rear side of the pick arm and urging the pick arm in a forward direction, a pick finger secured to said pick arm and depending therefrom, a rearwardly extending terminal on said pick finger for engaging beneath and elevating a musical instrument string for tensioning the string preparatory to releasing the string for audible vibration, another fixed support positioned forwardly of the pick arm, a block mounted on said other support having a rear end portion terminating in a vertical concaved rear end, a horizontally pivoted and eccentric latch on said rear end portion having a rear end, a nose on said rear end of the latch projecting rearwardly beyond said concaved end and having a top, said latch normally gravitating to a depressed untilted position, a follower on the lower end of and on the forward side of said pick arm, said follower being arranged to ride upon said concaved end when the pick arm is elevated and depressed by depression and elevation of the key so as to pass the latch nose on elevation of the pick arm and come into stop engagement with the top of the nose on depression of the pick arm, downward riding of the follower on said concaved end serving to move said pick arm rearwardly against the resistance of said spring means and engage the pick finger terminal under the instrument string.

2. In a plectrum piano action for a musical instrument having a vibratable string, a fixed key support, a key mounted above and on said support for elevation and depression relative to said support, said key having a forward end, a longitudinally elongated support arm mounted on and extending forwardly from the forward end of the key, said arm having a forward end, a vertical pick arm having an upper end pivoted on and depending from the forward end of said support arm, said pick arm having a lower end and forward and rear sides, spring means acting between the support arm and the rear side of the pick arm and urging the pick arm in a forward direction, a pick finger secured to said pick arm and depending therefrom, a rearwardly extending terminal on said pick finger for engaging beneath and elevating a musical instrument string for tensioning the string preparatory to releasing the string for audible vibration, another fixed support positioned forwardly of the pick arm, a block mounted on said other support having a rear end portion terminating in a vertical concaved rear end, a horizontally pivoted and eccentric latch on said rear end portion having a rear end, a nose on said rear end of the latch projecting rearwardly beyond said concaved end and having a top, said latch normally gravitating to a depressed untilted position, a follower on the lower end of and on the forward side of said pick arm, said follower being arranged to ride upon said concaved end when the pick arm is elevated and depressed by depression and elevation of the key so as to pass the latch nose on elevation of the pick arm and come into stop engagement with the top of the nose on depression of the pick arm, downward riding of the follower on said concaved end serving to move said pick arm rearwardly against the resistance of said spring means and engage the pick finger terminal under the instrument string, and a string dampener assembly comprising a vertical rod secured to and depending from said key support in rearwardly spaced relation to the pick arm, a forwardly spring-pressed rail pivoted on said rod, a leaf spring fixed on and projecting forwardly from said rail and having a forward end portion, a string dampener pad secured on the underside of said forward end portion, and an actuating rod connected to said rail for pivoting the rail and moving the string dampener pad into and out of muting engagement with the instrument string.

3. In a plectrum piano action for a musical instrument having a vibratable string, a fixed key support, a key mounted above and on said support for elevation and depression relative to said support, said key having a forward end, a longitudinally elongated support arm mounted on and extending forwardly from the forward end of the key, said arm having a forward end, a vertical pick arm having an upper end pivoted on and depending from the forward end of said support arm, said pick arm having a lower end and forward and rear sides, spring means acting between the support arm and the rear side of the pick arm and urging the pick arm in a forward direction, a pick finger secured to said pick arm and depending therefrom, a rearwardly extending terminal on said pick finger for engaging beneath and elevating a musical instrument string for tensioning the string preparatory to releasing the string for audible vibration, another fixed support positioned forwardly of the pick arm, a block mounted on said other support having a rear end portion terminating in a vertical concaved rear end, a horizontally pivoted and eccentric latch on said rear end portion having a rear end, a nose on said rear end of the latch projecting rearwardly beyond said concaved end and having a top, said latch normally gravitating to a depressed untilted position, a follower on the lower end of and on the for ward side of said pick arm, said follower being arranged to ride upon said concaved end when the pick arm is elevated and depressed by depression and elevation of the key so as to pass the latch nose on elevation of the pick arm and come into stop engagement with the top of the nose on depression of the pick arm, downward riding of the follower on said concaved end serving to move said pick arm rearwardly against the resistance of said spring means and engage the pick finger terminal under the instrument string, and a string dampener assembly comprising a vertical rod secured to and depending from said key support in rearwardly spaced relation to the pick arm, a forwardly spring-pressed rail pivoted on said rod, a leaf spring fixed on and projecting forwardly from said rail and having a forward end portion, a string dampener pad secured on the underside of said forward end portion, and an actuating rod connected to said rail for pivoting the rail and moving the string dampener pad into and out of muting engagement with the instrument string, a rearwardly spring-pressed vertical lever pivoted intermediate its ends on said support arm, said lever having a lower end positioned between said pick arm and the dampener assembly and having thereon a rearwardly extending finger, a vertical arm fixed on and rising from said forward end portion of the dampener leaf spring, said vertical arm having a forwardly extending finger beneath which the lever finger is positioned whereby depression of the key frees the dampener leaf spring to engage its pad with the string and elevation of the key draws the dampener leaf spring upwardly and retracts the dampener pad upwardly from the string independently of operation of said actuating rod.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,462,444 Casciotta July 17, 1923 1,538,302 Schenuit May 19, 1925 1,995,317 Loar Mar. 26, 1935 2,620,700 Shill Dec. 9, 1952 

